SKI JUMPING: Janda wins ski jump event in Germany

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) - Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic won the second leg of the annual ski jumping Four Hills tour for his fifth World Cup victory of the season.

Janda tied with Finland's Janne Ahonen with a total 226.5 metres over two leaps but was awarded more points for his control in the air and smooth landings.

Janda had 264.7 points, 2.5 more than defending champion Ahonen. Finland's Matti Hautamaki was third on 260.3.

Ahonen won the Four Hills opener at Oberstdorf and has 533.1 points overall, while Janda has 527.3. The competition is ski jumping's most prestigious outside the Olympics or world championships

"We still have two events left, so the standings could look different then," Janda said. "It was a great experience to win here."

Janda is trying to become the first Czech winner of the Four Hills for more than 30 years. He leads Ahonen in the battle for the overall World Cup title.

Ahonen recorded 124.0 metres on his second leap despite diminishing conditions to catch Janda, the leader after a first jump and day's best of 125.0.

Associated Press
1/1/2006 12:28:39 PM

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CROSS-COUNTRY SKI

Neumannova, Vittoz win World Cup events in Nove Mesto 

NOVE MESTO, Chech Rep., 31/12/2005 14:00 (AP) - of France and Katerina Neumannova of the Czech Republic won World Cup Free races on Saturday in Nove Mesto.
Vittoz finished the Men's 15 km Free event in 38 minutes, 03.0 seconds, defeating Lukas Bauer of the Czech Republic by 8.5 seconds and claim his first victory of the season.

The Frenchman is third in the World Cup overall standings with 339 points after 10 races. Tobias Angerer of Germany, who placed 35th Saturday, leads with 485 points, 110 more than Norway's Tor Arne Hetland.

Christian Hoffmann of Austria finished third Saturday, 36.4 seconds behind Vittoz.

Neumannova had her 15th career World Cup victory of the season, and her second in the 10 km Free. She won two 10 km Free World Cup races last season and won that event February at the Nordic Ski World Championships at Oberstdorf, Germany.

She finished the race in 27:57.1, 26.2 seconds ahead of Yulia Tchepalova of Russia. Ukraine's Valentina Shevchenko was third, 37.8 seconds behind Neumannova. The victory lifted Neumannova to sixth in the overall standings with 290 points after 10 races. The veteran, who is focusing on the Winter Olympics in Turin, participated in four races this season.

Marit Bjorgen of Norway leads overall with 490, followed by Tchepalova with 460. Germany's Claudia Kunzel is third with 408.

Lind and Sidko win sprint events

NOVE MESTO, Czech Republic, 30/12/2005 18:07 (AP) - Bjoern Lind of Sweden won the men's event and Russia's Alena Sidko took the women's race Friday in a World Cup cross-country meet. Lind won the 1.2-kilometer sprint, followed by Peter Larsson of Sweden. Norway's Johan Kjoelstad and Sweden's Mikael Oestberg collided to finish third and fourth respectively. In the women's final, Sidko controlled the race from the start, beating second-placed Anna Dahlberg of Sweden. Leader of the overall standings Claudia Kuenzel of Germany was third. 

Norway wins Men's Team Sprint 

CANMORE, 19/12/2005 00:37 (AP) - Norway's Jens Arne Svartedal and Eldar Roenning held off Swedish pair Bjoern Lind and Thobias Fredriksson to win the men's team sprint by one-tenth of a second in 16 minutes, 22.4 seconds.

A second Swedish duo of Mats Larsson and Mikael Oestberg finished third, 5.7 seconds back.

"I was trying to stay behind and overtake in the end" Roenning said, "it is always very good to beat the Swedes, the track, snow conditions and mountains are great. I've never been to a nicer place than this".

German Women edge Canadians in Team Sprint 

CANMORE, 19/12/2005 00:31 (AP) - Germany's Viola Bauer and Manuela Henkel spoiled the finale of Canada's two-week run, edging out the hosts by one second on Sunday to win a women's cross-country World Cup Team Sprint.
Bauer outlasted Sarah Renner over the final 10 meters, finishing the 7.2 kilometers in 18 minutes, 38.6 seconds. Renner and Beckie Scott were next in 18:39.6, their first top-three finish in the event, while Sweden's Lina Andersson and Anna Dahlberg were third, another 5.8 seconds behind.

"I had to fight hard and she overtook me on the flat, but I kept fighting back to win", Bauer said, "the track, snow conditions and mountains are great. I've never been to a nicer place than this".

The women's results gave Scott her fifth straight podium finish in as many chances a day after winning gold in the 15-kilometer classical event Saturday and a taking home silver in the 10-kilometer freestyle race Thursday.

Coupled with her victory in the sprint and a second place in a pursuit during last weekend's World Cup in Vernon, British Columbia, Scott has doubled her previous World Cup podium total. Renner also finished third in the Vernon sprint race.

"I don't think I ever have felt stronger", said Scott, headed to her third Olympics, "this has been a dream two weeks. Now, I have a good combination of speed, endurance and power, and staying power".

Angerer triumphed in Canmore 

CANMORE, 18/12/2005 09:27 (AP) - Germany's Tobias Angerer won the men's 30-kilometer classic in 1 hour, 18 minutes, 10.9 seconds. He had taken the World Cup lead with his third-place finish in Thursday's 15-kilometer freestyle race.
Norway's Frode Estil was second in 1:18.11.4 and Germany's Jens Filbrich was third. Kris Freeman was the top American, 20th.

Scott wins 15 Km Classic event for 4th straight podium finish 

CANMORE, 18/12/2005 02:06 (AP) - Canada's Beckie Scott won Saturday's 15 Km Classic World Cup event, her second victory in less than a week and fourth straight podium finish to move her into third in the overall standings.
Scott, awarded gold in the Women's Olympic Combined Pursuit at Salt Lake City after Russians Olda Danilova and Larissa Lazutina were disqualified for doping, also claimed second in Thursday's 10-kilometer race and a first- and second-place in weekend's events in Vernon, British Columbia.

She finished in 45 minutes, 2.2 seconds, 4.7 seconds ahead of Julija Tchepalova from Russia in temperatures that dipped below -15 degrees Celsius (5 Fahrenheit). Claudia Kuenzel of Germany finished third, 50.9 seconds behind Scott.

Scott, who has climbed from seventh to third in the WC overall standings with 360 points, 130 behind Norway's Marit Bjoergen and five behind Tchepalova, was gratified that her success has come on home snow.

"I think I was a dream it was something you imagine but not expect to do", Scott said, "I'm just extremely happy I was able to rise to the occasion".

Cottrer, Tchepalova win World Cup cross-country races 

CANMORE, Alberta, 16/12/2005 00:27 (AP) - Italy's Pietro Piller Cottrer and Russia's Julija Tchepalova won the men's and women's World Cup cross-country races on Thursday. Cottrer won the men's 15-kilometer individual race in 35 minutes, 6.8 seconds. Vincent Vittoz of France was second at 35:21.7, and German Tobias Angerer was third at 35:31.3. Tchepalova completed the women's 10-kilometer event in 25:39.0, 14.1 seconds ahead of Canadian Beckie Scott, who medaled in a third straight World Cup cross-country event. Scott, a gold medalist at the 2002 Olympics, also won silver in the women's 15-kilometer pursuit last Saturday and picked up the sprint gold on Sunday. "I got off to a great start and I knew I was really close to Tchepalova for most of the race," said Scott. "I was really searching for the gold today but to finish second in a World Cup race is very exciting and I'll definitely take it." Germany's Evi Sachenbacher Stehle was third in 26:39.5. 

Hetland won the Men's Sprint in Vernon 

VERNON, 12/12/2005 10:50 - Tor Arne Hetland won the Sprint Free that took place in Vernon on Sunday. For the reigning Olympic Champion is the second season's triumph, he caught the 15 km Classic in Beitostolen late in November.
Hetland also leads the WC overall standing with 335 points, ahead of Tobias Angerer and his teammate Jens Arne Svartedal. On Vernon track Hetland, 31, preceeded Swedish Bjoern Lind and Ola Vigen Hattestad, with Mikael Oestberg to complete the final race.

Hetland won the Men's Sprint in Vernon 

VERNON, 12/12/2005 10:50 - Tor Arne Hetland won the Sprint Free that took place in Vernon on Sunday. For the reigning Olympic Champion is the second season's triumph, he caught the 15 km Classic in Beitostolen late in November.
Hetland also leads the WC overall standing with 335 points, ahead of Tobias Angerer and his teammate Jens Arne Svartedal. On Vernon track Hetland, 31, preceeded Swedish Bjoern Lind and Ola Vigen Hattestad, with Mikael Oestberg to complete the final race.

Scott wins, Renner on podium too in World Cup 

VERNON, 12/12/2005 10:39 (AP) - Canadian Beckie Scott skied to win and teammate Sarah Renner placed third in a World Cup Sprint race on Sunday.
Scott sent home fans into a frenzy with a dominant victory in the women's 1.1-kilometer sprint final. Germany's Claudia Kuenzel was second.

It was Scott's second trip to the podium in as many days, she placed second on Saturday in the 15 km Pursuit in Vernon, the first time in 10 years Canada has hosted a World Cup competition.

Bjoergen won edging Scott 

VERNON, 11/12/2005 02:37 - In front of thousands of screaming fans, Beckie Scott tookk the second place Saturday in a 15 Km Double Pursuit in Vernon, the first time in 10 years Canada has hosted a World Cup cross-country race.
Marit Bjoergen of Norway won the event with a time of 42:27.8, beating Scott to the finish line by 0.3 seconds. Veteran teammate Hilde Pedersen, 41, caught the third place with a time of 42:30.4.

"It was the first time I have raced in Canada in a World Cup since 1994", said Scott, who embraced her husband and father at the finish area. "So all around the course I heard my name being yelled, I was very motivating, everything I had I gave during the race".

Scott had the lead heading into the last lap of the Double Pursuit, which combines 7.5 kilometres of Classic skiing with an additional 7.5 kilometres of Skate skiing, but lost to Bjoergen in a neck-neck sprint to the finish.

"The pace at the start was really casual" Scott said, "everyone was waiting for someone to make a move, but no one did it, so I stayed calm, I knew someone would attack and I was trying to be ready for that".

German triumph in Vernon 

VERNON, 11/12/2005 00:12 - It was thrilling race today at Sovereign Lake with a huge pack of top World Cup skiers battling for 30 KM in the Double Pursuit race, but in the end, it was all about the Germans.
German NT placed five athletes in a row, Tobias Angerer won, followed in by teammates Axel Teichmann, Andreas Schluetter, Jens Filbrich and Rene Sommerfeldt.

It was a very tight and exciting race with all the well-known names at the forefront, including Frode Estil, Vincent Vittoz, Matthias Fredriksson and reigning World Champion Pietro Piller Cottrer, among many others.

After the 15K classic, there were 25 skiers within 15 seconds of the lead, including the Kris Freeman and Russia's Ivan Babikov, now part of the Canadian development team for 2010.

With only 5K to go, there were 27 skiers within 10 seconds of the lead. With 1.5K left to race, there were 23 skiers within 5 seconds of the lead, setting up an amazing sprint for the finish.

And no one could top the German machine today. By the finish,the germans were out in front and the pursuing pack had been strung out over 30 seconds.

Ivan Babikov finished 14, only 8.6 seconds out and Kris Freeman finished 23rd, 23 seconds out. A decent race for Kris, but it might be a bit disappointing since he was so close to the front for almost the entire race.

First WC triumph for Hofstad 

KUUSAMO, 27/11/2005 14:08 - Tore Ruud Hofstad won the 15 km Free in Kuusamo, this is his first triumph in a WC race. Norwegian skier, 26, preceeded Vincent Vittoz of France, delayed for 8", and Tobias Angerer, winner yesterday in the 15 km Classic, for 11".

Defending Wolrd Champion Pietro Piller Cottrer Tor Arne Hetland, 10th, is still the current leader in World Cup overall standing with 235 points ahead of Angerer, 196, and Jens Arne Svartedal, 160.